L&D Must Change

When does the L&D function form in an organization? What's the first order of business when it does? Today's guest, Tom Bowen, is known as the L&D pro who can get an L&D function up and running in the startup world and he's done that job over and over again. He even calls himself a "serial startup guy" for L&D. In this episode, Tom will share what it's like to be the first L&D pro hired into a small start-up business including when he's usually brought in, what he does first, and what makes working in L&D in the startup world unique.

Jess and Tom discuss

• The main focus areas for L&D in a startup.
• Key skills needed for those working in the fast-paced startup environment.
• The need to identify and prioritize all the "fires" according to which will mitigate future issues.
• How a startup's rapid growth requires the ability to scale processes and systems quickly.
• Pairing risk and volatility against the potential for large impact.
• Behaviors L&D can learn from the startup world.

About Tom Bowen

Tom Bowen has been in the talent development world since 2008 and has predominantly focused on the education and tech sectors. He is a "serial startup guy" and really thrives in creating order in the chaos that often comes with a rapidly growing organization. He is most recently at Alchemy, a blockchain infrastructure startup valued at over $10B, where he leads all things people impact and change management. Often described as a divergent thinker, Tom enjoys challenging the status quo and finds the highest ROI activities are the ones where people are finding new ways to gain leverage with their time and energy and unlock their potential.

Find and connect with Tom Bowen

• LinkedIn

Find and connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• L&D Must Change Newsletter

Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!

There's nothing I love more than when someone takes on an L&D role from another industry and becomes immediately confused as to why our profession functions the way it does. It provides an immediate opportunity for new ideas and conversation. This was the case for today's guest, Rashi Kakkar, when she moved from a career consulting in product management into an L&D leadership role. The result was a marriage of the two professions. One where the best pieces from each were elevated and the confusing bits eliminated. It turns out L&D can learn a lot from product management.

Rashi and Jess discuss:

• Shifting L&D from a project-based to a product-based mindset
• Organizing L&D teams around stages in the employee journey rather than siloed functions
• Embracing iterative development, frequent user testing, and ongoing refinement
• Conducting regular user discovery sessions to understand needs and challenges instead of waiting for training requests to arrive on our desks
• Tracking impact longitudinally, across the employee journey, not just from individual interventions

About Rashi Kakkar

Rashi Kakkar has two clear professional drivers: Creating human-centered products, experiences, and services and achieving organizational success and growth by unlocking human potential As a global lead within McKinsey's Leadership Center of Excellence, Rashi is dedicated to building large-scale institutional capability through a skills-first approach. At McKinsey, she has advised Fortune 100 clients on complex strategic, operational, and organizational challenges. Rashi has successfully driven digital transformations, enhanced organizational effectiveness, and redesigned operating models, all grounded in a foundation of human-centered qualitative and quantitative research. She has also led multiple enterprise-wide agility and innovation programs to deliver impactful results.

Before joining McKinsey, Rashi worked at a boutique design thinking firm, where she developed expertise in human-centered design, experience and service design, and innovation. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience as a professional sports agent, specializing in talent management, sponsorship sales, and licensing and merchandising. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rashi is passionate about writing as a way to refine her thinking. She authors a bi-weekly newsletter with over 1,300 subscribers and has published more than 80 opinion pieces in leading global publications. An avid golfer, former varsity tennis player, and newly minted pickleball enthusiast, Rashi balances her professional pursuits with an active lifestyle and a love for sports.

Find and connect with Rashi Kakkar

• Newsletter: https://decksanddiapers.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rashikakkar
• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rashikakkar.bsky.social
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@rashi_kakkar8
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/rashi_kakkar

Find and connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• L&D Must Change Newsletter

Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!

How do you feel about your LMS? If you're like most you may have a love + hate relationship with the platform. Today's guest, Sarah Mercier, found herself working with client after client trying to solve clunky LMS issues, so she threw out the LMS playbook and created an alternate tool. What does that mean for you? Well, you just might not need your LMS any longer.

Sarah and Jess discuss:

• The evolution of learning platforms
• Ongoing issues with traditional LMS systems like complexities in user access, content delivery, and data fragmentation
• The creation of the new, XCL tool, designed to solve persistent LMS problems
• XCL's ability to eliminate user logins while still tracking detailed analytics, provide flexible content types, centralize data, improve user experience, and offer cost savings
• How XCL solves challenges related to accessibility

About Sarah Mercier

Sarah Mercier, MBA, CPACC, specializes in innovative learning technology and strategic implementation of learning solutions. She is an advocate for learner-centered design and is known for her ability to translate highly technical concepts and research to real-world practice. As CEO of Build Capable, she leads a team of learning technology experts. Sarah is an author and the editor of Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and business events on topics such as learning experience design, accessibility, xAPI, and learning ecosystems.

Find and connect with Sarah Mercier

• LinkedIn
• Website: Build Capable
• Email: [email protected]
• Book: Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences

Find and connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• L&D Must Change Newsletter

Additional links from the episode

• XCL Tool: https://www.buildcapable.com/xcl/
• 7 Taps Microlearning: https://www.7taps.com/
• Article: LXP vs. LMS: What Are The Differences? https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/LXP-vs-LMS-What-are-the-differences

Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!

It's time to clarify the purpose of our learning programs with our stakeholders, and I mean really clarify. Not just write the learning outcomes and create an evaluation form, but zero in our stakeholders' real needs and expectations. According to today's guest, Chris Taylor, CEO of Actionable.co, taking the reins to clearly define the purpose behind the request should drive everything else we do from design through measurement. Armed with a few practical questions, a strategy for continuous alignment, and clear measures to define our next steps, we can uplevel the effectiveness and impact of our programs.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Ideas to sustain motivation after training interventions are complete
• How to shine a light on the immediate behavior change impact of learning programs, instead of only looking at lagging, longer-term data
• One key question to define what is really needed and keep stakeholders aligned and on track
• How to avoid over-complicating measurement by mapping out logic paths and measuring at multiple points
• The value of measurement for real time iteration
• Delivery practices proven to illicit behavior change rather than transfer information

About Chris Taylor

Actionable.co CEO, Chris Taylor, works at the leading edge of learning sustainment and impact measurement for progressive organizations.

Described once by a client as "a curious blend of Boomer and Gen- Y", Chris is often called upon to act as a bridge and translator between generations at work, our new state of constant change, and the impact technology has on team dynamics.

Through Actionable.co, Chris brings empirical evidence and stories to illustrate how, exactly, we measure ROI on corporate learning initiatives, and the systems to ensure every program creates lasting impact. He's personally consulted to over 400 organizations across 6 countries, in almost any sector you can name.

In addition to being a regular speaker for both public and private events, Chris has penned over 150 articles for dozens of publications, been quoted in The National Post, Toronto Star and Globe & Mail and hosted 90+ thought leader interviews for the iTunes #2 ranked business podcast, The 21st Century Workplace.

Find and connect with Chris Taylor

• LinkedIn
• Website: Actionable.co
• Twitter (X)

Find and connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• Newsletter: L&D Must Change

Additional links from this episode

• Actionable Annual Insights Report
• Actionable Behavior Change Toolkit

It's time for L&D to both amp up our toolbox and become a tad more critical of our own work. Instead of adding content, we need to think about subtracting it or better yet, make changes that enable performance. Too often we prioritize activities over goals. Lavinia Mehedintu is known for this type of progressive thinking about the work of L&D, but she also believes in the necessity and power of supporting each other through changes in our profession that may feel risky.

Join us in this conversation where we discuss some of the challenges L&D must address to have a greater impact as well as how to support and empower our L&D community colleagues while we change.

In this episode:

• Shifting L&D's approach from adding to subtracting content.
• The need for L&D to take a systems thinking approach.
• L&D skills that can be applied beyond workshops.
• Reframing L&D's identity around goals vs. activities.
• Why understanding the business builds credibility and enables strategic conversation.
• Making cross-functional "friends" as a strategy for business success.
• The importance of support systems and community when building new skills, overcoming organizational resistance, and navigating change.

About Lavinia Mehedintu:

Lavinia Mehedintu has over 11 years of experience designing learning experiences across higher education, start-ups, and large enterprises. After leading an L&D team, she noticed a gap in resources tailored to L&D professionals' growth and found traditional approaches lacking the impact she was seeking. This inspired her to create Offbeat, a community where L&Ds explore their evolving roles amidst a rapidly changing world. Five years later, Lavinia combines experience design, behavior change, and technology at Offbeat to help L&Ds grow and consults with companies of all sizes on learning and behavior change initiatives.

Find and connect with Lavinia Mehedintu here:

• LinkedIn
• Offbeat (L&D Community)

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter
• Almlie Consulting Website

L&D and change management may be different professions, but they are deeply interconnected. In today's episode, Jody Lumsden shares how the intersection of these two approaches benefits everyone involved.

This episode covers:

• How L&D practitioners add value to change management initiatives.
• Key change management models that can enhance L&D effectiveness.
• The importance of zooming out to see the bigger picture of the change beyond training requests.
• Aligning the timing of learning/training interventions with the change curve.
• L&D as an advocate for the "people side" of change, complementing technical focuses.
• Tailoring the messages and messengers based on the stage of change.
• How L&D can equip managers to have meaningful conversations during change.
• ...And more!

About Jody Lumsden:

Jody Lumsden is a consultant, speaker, facilitator and author of Needs Assessment on a Shoestring. She has expertise developing and implementing strategy and data-driven performance metrics in the areas of adult and workplace learning, curriculum planning, change management, and leadership coaching.

Check out Jody's LinkedIn profile to personally connect to her. You'll also find a link to buy her book, recordings of presentations, podcast episodes, and published articles.

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: Almlie Consulting
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter

Additional links from this episode:

• Understanding the Kubler-Ross Change Curve in the Workplace
• Kotter's 8-Step Change Model
• Prosci Change Management
• ATD Change Management Certificate
• Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)

Hiring and developing the best L&D team isn't easy. Determining needed roles, writing a clear JD, selecting the appropriate amount of prior expertise needed, and working with recruiters (who may or may not "get" what L&D does) all add to the complexity. Then, there's the issue of developing the teams we have - ensuring team members continue advancing their L&D skills and expertise. We need to keep pushing team members (and ourselves) outside of our comfort zones to make a bigger impact!

Join Jess Almlie and guest Laurel Schulert as they discuss these challenges and more related to hiring and developing an L&D team.

You'll hear:

• What to prioritize when hiring for L&D roles
• How to leverage different hiring sources
• Tips for writing JDs, screening candidates, and working with recruiters
• Ideas for team member development, no matter the size of your budget

About Laurel Schulert:

Before moving to the corporate tech world, Laurel previously taught secondary English and was an adjunct professor of English as a Foreign Language. She holds a M.S. Ed. in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University, and a B.A. in Education from Eastern Michigan University. Laurel wrote the June 2023 TD at Work guide, "A-List L&D Team, Assemble," earned the Master Performance Consultant certificate through ATD, and presented at the ATD International Conference & EXPO from 2022-2024 and the 2021 DevLearn conference.

Find and connect with Laurel Schulert here:

• LinkedIn
• TD at Work Article: A-List L&D Team, Assemble!
• Article: Best Practices for L&D Job Descriptions
• Article: L&D Skills for 2024 and Beyond

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: Almlie Consulting
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter

Most L&D pros operate and design from a particular bias based on our primary behavioral (biological/neurological) drivers - the drive to learn and the drive to bond. Spoiler alert, not everyone is driven by these. If we design, promote, and deliver our learning solutions with our drivers leading the way, we become less effective for certain groups. Join Jess Almlie and guest Jay Johnson to talk about how L&D can combat "trainer bias."

In this episode you'll hear:

• Definitions for the four biological and neurological drivers dictating how our brain makes choices on what we do every day.
• The primary drivers for L&D (drive to learn and drive to bond) vs. those for other professions and roles.
• How focusing only on our own primary drivers makes us less effective in L&D.
• Why it's important to balance all four drivers in our work.
• How L&D needs to think and approach our work differently according to all four drivers.

About Jay Johnson:

Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay supports trainers and coaches in designing, developing, and implementing programs that drive behavioral change.

Find and connect with Jay Johnson here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: https://www.behavioralelements.com
• Email: [email protected]

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: https://www.jessalmlie.com
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter

Additional resources mentioned in this podcast:

• Book: Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices by Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria
• Podcast: The Talent Forge: Elevating L&D: From Fast Food to VP with Jess Almlie (Jay's interview with Jess!)

Sometimes, in L&D, we get buried in our thinking about fantastic, carefully designed, detailed programs. So much that we can miss the simple, inexpensive, powerful solutions that are right under our noses. In today's episode, Jeannine Lanoux discusses the simple power of book discussions in the workplace, including the results of her research on their effectiveness.

You'll hear:

• The power of book discussions as a simple, inexpensive, quick learning intervention with lasting results.
• The benefits of book discussions for leadership development, culture change, alignment, relationship building, and more.
• How book discussions strengthen teams.
• The most important elements to facilitating a good book discussion.
• How a book discussion can neutralize potentially emotionally charged topics.

About Jeannine Lanoux:

Jeannine Lanoux is CEO and founder of Lanoux Learning, a firm committed to transforming people and organizations to achieve their next best level. She is an executive coach, who is also experienced at rolling out large-scale culture change initiatives, directing leadership development programs for everyone from frontline managers to executive leaders, and guiding talent management practices tied to business strategy. She is adept at sculpting enterprise-wide learning to enhance both knowledge retention and transfer.

Find and connect with Jeannine here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: lanouxlearning.com

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter
• Website: Almlie Consulting

Recommended books:

• Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
• Reality Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, & Turn Excuses into Results by Cy Wakeman
• Human First, Leader Second: How Self-Compassion Outperforms Self-Criticism by Massimo Backus
• Measurement Demystified: Creating Your L&D Measurement, Analytics, and Reporting Strategy by David Vance and Peggy Parskey
• The Modern Learning Ecosystem: A New L&D Mindset for an Ever-Changing Workplace by JD Dillon
• Coming in 2025: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner by Jess Almlie

Data literacy and business acumen are important concepts for the L&D professional who works (or wants to work) as a more Strategic Business Partner. In this episode, Dr. Alaina Szlachta helps us break down and simplify both concepts. She also offers a few questions to ask when learning more and an activity to get started. You'll hear:

• The need to change L&D's brand to one of measurable business impact
• An explanation of both data literacy and business acumen for L&D
• How to develop skills surrounding data literacy
• The importance of understanding your organization's business model
• The need for curiosity as a critical skill
• The difference between evaluation and measurement
• Why measurement should be continuous and sustainable
• An exercise to determine L&D alignment to business goals
• And more!

Dr. Alaina Szlachta, an academic-turned-entrepreneur, is the founder of By Design Development Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in data enablement. Drawing on her background as a researcher and public health educator, she partners with learning and operations teams to integrate measurement and evaluation systems into their daily practices. She is also the author of an upcoming ATD Press book, "Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring," a resource written to make Measurement & Evaluation easier and more accessible for anyone - regardless of their expertise. Find and connect with Dr. Alaina Szlachta here:

• LinkedIn
• Website: dralaina.com
• Book: Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring
• Measurement and Evaluation Weekly Virtual MeetUp

Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:

• LinkedIn
• Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter
• Almlie Consulting

Additional Links from the Show:

• Book: Alilgning Instructional Design with Business Goals: Make the Case and Deliver Results by Kristopher Newbauer
• Book: Partner for Performance: Strategically Aligning Learning and Development by Ingrid Guerra-Lopez and Karen Hicks